Linnea Storm Sensei led a small group of students in a Zoom workshop on Shoka Sanshuike. She suggested that each student decides upon a variety of Shoka that they would like to concentrate on, and she offered to send videos and work with each student individually to provide help. The arrangements were colorful and varied. As usual, Linnea’s expertise and the help of our fellow students helped us all learn.
Some of the topics of conversation were technical, i.e., the use of water-absorbing tape to wrap stems that might not otherwise stay in the kenzan. Other subjects had to do with materials—how to choose, bend, position, and place them to achieve the goals of expression and contrast in our arrangements. And as always, the conversation offered support—having others express their dilemmas, offering suggestions, and hearing the kindness of students and Sensei in their reactions is a very empowering experience, whether in person or by Zoom.